About Right to Remain

Right to Remain’s vision is a world in which everyone can exercise their right to remain with dignity and humanity, where they need to be.

People leave their homes and come to the UK for many reasons. People are fleeing war, persecution and poverty; are coming to join family in the UK; are coming here to work or study. It’s not easy to make it here, and when people arrive the struggle isn’t over. People are faced with a Hostile Environment denying them basic rights, and major obstacles to establishing their legal rights to stay.

Right to Remain works with communities, groups and organisations across the UK. We provide information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain. We challenge injustice in the immigration and asylum system.

We currently have two full-time and three part-time paid staff.

Right to Remain is a company limited by guarantee, a special type of company for non-profit making organisations and charities. The company has members who are encouraged to attend and vote at our annual general meeting.

We are governed by a voluntary Management Committee. You can find out more about the current members of the Committee here.

Key areas of work

We produce accessible resources – such as the Right to Remain Toolkit and our legal updates blog – and deliver community training, so that people can navigate the UK asylum and immigration system and take practical action in their legal case (or in the case of someone they are supporting).

We support the work of grassroots asylum and migrant groups across the UK, and bring communities together to share their struggles, expertise and learning.

We campaign for positive change in the asylum and immigration system, with a focus on ending immigration detention. See the website of our These Walls Must Fall project here.

Support our work

Our work is supported only through grants from charitable trusts, and donations from the public.

You can support our work by making a donation.

A regular monthly payment is the best way to support Right to Remain financially. For small organisations like us, it really helps for us to know we can carry on doing our vital work – and even do more.

Thank you to our funders

What people say about our toolkit

“Just wanted to say how useful we have found the Toolkit: it is such an invaluable resource to be able to talk through with asylum-seekers what to expect”

“I must thank you for your toolkit and links to other resources. When someone first arrives in our city, people often want to know about the first interviews. Often a member of our organisation (who has been through these interviews) will talk the person through what it will be like. It has been a great help to be able to give some printouts from your toolkit for people to take home and look over later. With the loss of legal advice services on immigration and the asylum process, it makes a big difference.”

What people say about our training

“This was so well run by Lisa and Michael – they made the issues live for us, provided advice on campaigning and practice of supporting people seeking the right to stay in the UK. It was wonderful to see so many participating. There was a real “get up and go” feeling about it … and I’m happy to report that since the training a number of our group have adopted a very proactive approach, have met with their local MP etc. One woman told me that she didn’t know that she could do anything to help her situation … she is pleased to be actively taking steps that could help her, an essential step towards empowerment in this hugely bewildering, impersonal and disempowering system’.

“Great to get the whole community here thinking about legal support”

“Very helpful, easy to understand, lots of information”

“Fantastic, useful, well-structured, patient presenters”

“Really good use of interactive materials, very helpful for hands on learning”

What people say about our campaigner gatherings

“The conference was an absolutely great day, one of the best events that I have ever attended. Our group was so heartened by the energy and enthusiasm of all the attendees and the chance to talk with people from groups all over the UK. There were some amazingly brave and inspiring people in my group, I was humbled. Overall the day was a great mix of legal expertise, culture, grass roots activism, solidarity, compassion, courage and inspiration.”

“Great speakers. Inspiring stories. So good to feel part of a movement.”

“It was so helpful to meet new people and to see old friends as well as really heartening to build our courage and strength through sharing stories.”

“It was a fantastic event — informative, inspiring and motivating. For those of us engaged day-to-day defending asylum seekers in an increasingly hostile climate it is a source of great strength to know there are people up and down the country doing such good work with some positive outcomes. Humanity will win this struggle!”

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy

Support our work

When people reach the UK, the struggle isn’t over. It's a hostile environment. Right to Remain relies on grants from charitable trusts and on donations from people like you. Your donation will help us to help people in their struggles for the right to remain in the UK, and to campaign for migration justice.

Contact

About us

Right to Remain works with communities, groups and organisations across the UK, providing information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain, and to challenge injustice in the immigration and asylum system.